EDF Energy is urging the Government to consider new schemes that will help more people insulate their homes.

The firm made the call after a study revealed Britain's ageing housing stock is in urgent need of energy efficiency updates.

The sudy unveiled the majority (58%) of properties across England and Wales only meet insulation standards of 1976 or older.

With only a third (37%) of households stating that they have updated their insulation, EDF will bring forward £20m spend on energy-efficiency measures for fuel-poor households this year, to help them get ‘winter ready’ ahead of energy prices rising again in October.

The study, conducted by EDF in partnership with property data platform, Sprift, analysed the current levels of home insulation (including floor, roof, window and wall insulation) against building regulations of homes across different time periods to calculate the nation’s 'home insulation age'.

The analysis found that a third (6.3 million) of properties across England and Wales only meet insulation standards of 1972 Building Regulations and a further 6 million (27%) meet regulatory insulation criteria of 1976.

Looking at insulation regulations since the turn of the century, just 1.6 million properties (7.5%) have an insulation age of 2002 or younger, with a mere 4,663 properties having an insulation age of 2013. Of those homes built before 1976 (13.6 million), just 3,867 properties (0.03%) have been updated with additional energy efficiency measures to meet an insulate age of 2002 or younger.


Consumer research of 2,000 UK homeowners commissioned by EDF3 to support the study found that despite the average household living with insulation standards dating back at least 46 years, only a third (37%) of households have ever updated their insulation. In contrast, we update our phones every 2 years 4 months, TVs every 3 years 5 months, cars every 4 ½ years and kitchens every 7 years 11 months.

A quarter (25%) state that they have not updated their insulation because it’s too expensive to install, whilst a fifth (19%) would rather spend their money on other things or don’t know what type of insulation they need (17%).

As energy prices continue to rise, improving energy efficiency through insulation measures offers the biggest opportunity to cut household bills4, yet two thirds (66%) of respondents did not know the EPC rating of their home with a fifth (21%) of homeowners having no idea about the different ways properties can be insulated to improve their energy efficiency.

When bills were at £1,200 per year, loft insulation saved £165 a year. Against the current £2,000 cap, these savings are £250 a year and will be higher if bills continue to rise5. The average semi-detached homeowner could also save up to £285 a year if they upgraded their cavity-wall insulation and a further £390 a year by updating their solid-wall insulation5. The desire to reduce energy bills is the main driver for almost two thirds (65%) of those that have thought about updating or have updated their home's insulation, whilst more than four in 10 (43%) have improved their home energy efficiency for the good of the planet.

With less than six months until Ofgem announces the level of the next price cap, and before people start turning their heating back on in the autumn, EDF is calling for a national effort to get British homes ‘Winter Ready’ through the installation of insulation and smart meters. The company has also announced it will spend an extra £20 million on energy efficiency measures for fuel poor households this year to get as many homes as possible insulated against rising prices6.

Philippe Commaret, Managing Director for Customers at EDF commented: "It's surprising that the average insulation age of a home is over 40 years old, with so few homes having sufficient insulation installed to meet modern energy efficiency standards. As energy prices continue to rise, quality insulation is the most effective way to cut household bills permanently, however is often overlooked as the cost of installation is a significant barrier to many. That’s why it's so important that we work with Government and industry to find new ways to get more homes insulated as soon as possible and why we'll be supporting our vulnerable customers to help insulate their homes now, ahead of bills rising again in October."